Tuesday, November 28, 2017

After years of development, Neil Young introduced his new Neil Young Archives project on Dec. 1. The sprawling website allows visitors to stream for free (provided you give an email address) everything Young has recorded as a soloist and bandleader, as well as with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and includes listings regarding Young-related films and books, as well as unreleased albums and recordings such as Chrome Dreams, Homegrown, and Freedom Live. With a kitschy interface designed to look like a combination of an old stereo and a filing cabinet, the site (under ideal conditions) will allow you to stream in high quality audio provided by Young's proprietary Xstream streaming plugin. A good way to start: go to the "Timeline" section and scroll through the 50-year-plus run of Young's career, and click around the albums linked there. Young has also promised updates will be featured in the "NYA News" section of the site. Meanwhile, Young has also released his latest album, The Visitor, backed by the band Promise of the Real. - Billboard, 12/1/17...... The Moody Blues are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their seminal symphonic-rock LP Days of Future Passed with a live TV special they've taped for PBS, and are planning a Days of Future Passed North American tour to begin in Jan. 2018. "A couple of years ago, I was thinking how best to celebrate the 50th anniversary, when I was fortunate enough to meet an arranger and conductor named Elliott Davis from Toronto's World Festival Orchestra," Moody Blues founder Justin Hayward says, noting that original arranger Peter Knight had passed away in 1985. Hayward said he was seeking a classical conductor to help recreate the sound of the 1967 album, which blended orchestral arrangements with psychedelic rock sounds to create one of the first concept rock albums of the 1960s. "I could suddenly see a way where we could make it possible," Hayward explains. "I found someone capable of recreating those parts on stage because in the past, it was very frustrating trying to recreate the album live. We had one group with a sound in the studio and another group that created the live sound on stage. We could never get the two to gel and sound the same. And it's only in the last few years that that's been possible." The Decca Records-produced album, originally released in 1968 and peaking at No. 3, enjoyed a resurgence in 1972 after its track "Nights in White Satin" was released as a single and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. The album introduced a new generation of music fans to the power of stereophonic mixing and mastering. The Moody Blues: Days of Future Passed Live is now airing on PBS as part of WNET Thirteen and New York Public Media's Great Performances series, and the concert can be streamed on the PBS website. The performance was taped July 7 at Toronto's Sony Centre with the band performing the entire LP live with narration from English actor Jeremy Irons. The Moodies will kick off their 2018 tour on Jan. 10 at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Fla., also hitting Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma before four shows at the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Jan. 26, 27, 30 and 31. The classic rockers have also been nominated for induction into the class of 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a first for the band. - Billboard, 11/30/17...... The late David Cassidy has bowed on Billboard's Social 50 Chart after the former The Partridge Family teen idol died of liver failure on Nov. 21 at age 67. Cassidy entered the chart after his Wikipedia page tallied 814,000 clicks in the week ending Nov. 23, a boost of 14,191%. The Social 50 is powered by data tracked by music analytics company Next Big Sound and ranks the most popular artists on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Wikipedia and Tumblr. Meanwhile, Cassidy's Partridge Family co-star Danny Bonaduce has reacted to the death of Cassidy, saying the singer was "robbed" in his career: "He wanted to go on tour and be a real rock 'n' roll star. But the road he chose to go down after the show, it didn't go as far." Bonaduce added that he and Cassidy didn't become close friends until the 1990s, when Bonaduce was on the cover of the tabloids for alcohol and substance abuse. Bonaduce said after Cassidy invited him to go on tour with him and participated in interviews with local radio stations, "They offered me more money than I'd ever seen in my life: $75,000 a year... David told me the tour would give me a career, and it did." - Billboard, 11/30/17...... In related news, AC/DC has surged on the Billboard Rock Charts after the death of band co-founder Malcolm Young on Nov. 18 at age 64. AC/DC landed six entries on the Hot Rock Songs survey, with their song "Thunderstruck" bowing at No. 6 on the Hot Rock Songs chart. AC/DC's five other titles on Hot Rock Songs for the week ending Nov. 23 include "Back in Black," "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Highway to Hell," "T.N.T." and"Hells Bells." - Billboard, 11/29/17...... After '80s metal band Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider slammed the trend of "non-metal fans wearing vintage metal T's" on Twitter in October, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has a different point of view: "I'm honored that they do," Iommi says. "The more the merrier." Snider caused a stir on Twitter when he vented, "It's not just the wearing of our metal T's, it's their cherry picking of our style #skulls #metalhorns. These are OUR symbols; OUR image." Slayer guitarist Gary Holt went so far as to accuse pop sensation Beyoncé of "appropriation" for using his band's logo for "Slayonc" merchandise without permission on her Formation World Tour. Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Kanye West are just a few of the additional contemporary acts who in recent years have mined metal symbols and logos for merchandise. But Rob Halford of Judas Priest is in Iommi's corner: "That is the epitome of popularity, when you get a Kardashian wearing a metal shirt ... suddenly metal is on the front page of every newspaper and social platform." - Billboard, 12/1/17...... TV journalist Geraldo Rivera has apologized to Bette Midler over an incident that took place in the 1970s where Midler says he groped her at her own house. After Rivera defended the beleaguered Today show host Matt Lauer on social media and then took back the remarks, on Nov. 30 Midler shared a video from a 1991 interview with Barbara Walters where she recalled her disturbing encounter with Rivera. "Geraldo may have apologized for his tweets supporting Matt Lauer, but he has yet to apologize for this," Midler posted with the clip. In the video, she detailed an incident where Rivera and his producer pushed her into her bathroom, broke two of the recreational drug poppers and pushed them under her nose and, she said, "proceeded to grope me." In two tweets Rivera also said that he regrets the "distasteful" and "disrespectful" tone of his 1991 memoir, Exposing Myself, wherein he describes the encounter: "We were in the bathroom, preparing for the interview, and at some point, I put my hands on her breasts." Rivera tweeted that "I'm embarrassed & profoundly sorry to those mentioned -- I have & again apologize to anyone offended." - Billboard, 12/1/17...... The long-awaited biopic of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury has been put on hold after its director, Brian Singer, failed to return to the set after the Thanksgiving holiday. Although a rep for Singer said the director's absence was due to "a personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family," it has been reported that Singer has previously clased with the cast and crew and has failed to turn up to the set once before. Singer, who is best known for directing the X Men franchise, chose actor Rami Malek to portray Mercury after Sacha Baron Cohen pulled out of the project in the summer of 2013, reportedly because he and Queen, who have script and director approval, were unable to agree on the type of movie they wanted to make. - New Musical Express, 12/2/17...... Two new documentaries of interest to '70s music fans will premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah: a Joan Jett biopic called Bad Reputation from director Kevin Kerslake, and Studio 54, a doc on the famed New York nightlife mecca. The Sundance Film Festival runs from Jan. 18 through Jan. 28. - Billboard, 11/30/17...... Bruce Springsteen has been spotted at the Freds Madison Avenue restaurant atop Barneys New York sipping wine now that he's spending a lot of time on Broadway for his new hit "Springsteen on Broadway" production. "He's friendly to fans," a source told the New York Post's Page Six. "He's nice to everyone." Springsteen has been seen sitting alone at the bar and enjoying a glass of wine with his lunch around 3 p.m. most days. Although he doesn't visit the restaurant every day, he reportedly "goes often." - PageSix.com, 11/29/17...... A fundraising campaign to build a music school honoring record producer Quincy Jones and to be located in a country of Jones' choosing has been started by the In a Perfect World (IAPW) organization. "We can reach children alone, but we can do so much more together. Just $30 sends a kid to school in Los Angeles with a backpack full of school supplies. And $22 sends a kid to school in a developing country for one year. How easy is that?," says IAPW founder Manuela Testolini. Jones was honored by IAPW at a gala at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles on Nov. 12. To donate, visit iapw.org/donate or facebook.com/inaperfectworldfdn or text "Give" to (310) 620-1515. - Billboard, 11/28/17...... Beach Boys member Al Jardine will launch a "Postcard From California - From the Very First Song" tour on Jan. 23-24 at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, Minn. The name comes from Jardine's debut solo album, 2010's A Postcard From California. Featuring his son Matt Jardine, the tour will feature Al telling stories about the Beach Boys' music and singing, as well as Matt singing and playing alongside his dad. The tour will also hit the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 23 and 24, and then visit he Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 29 and 30. "Al's voice is still so incredibly strong, so this show will highlight that," says the show's producer, Keith Putney. "With Matt Jardine on board, the harmonies will shine as well." - Billboard, 11/28/17...... Britain's Channel 4 has commissioned a film documenting the most important moments of the final year of rock icon Prince, from his secret performance at the White House during the Barack Obama era, to his final tour, Piano & a Microphone. The new project will feature interviews with Prince's friends, including political commentator Van Jones, singer Eryn Allen Kane, and his former girlfriend Andy. Also, it will include such musicians as Cee Lo Green and George Clinton. It will be directed by Adrian Sibley, who worked on The Kate Bush Story: Running Up That Hill. In related news, Prince's estate has just release dfirst official merchandise since his death. The "Hit N Run" merchandise line -- named after his surprise album releases -- includes t-shirts themed after iconic Prince albums such as Purple Rain, 1999, Parade and Controversy, as well as a hoodie and purple hat. - New Musical Express, 12/1/17...... For the 29th annual World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, Elton John is continuing his commitment to raising awareness and funds for the global HIV/AIDS epidemic with the help of mobile messaging app Kwippit and 25 famous friends. Each day during December, a custom-made digital heart -- similar to an emoji -- will be released to subscribers of Kwippit's Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) channel to share on social media and text messages. One hundred percent of the proceeds from downloads ($.99 annual membership) directly benefits the non-profit's grant-making programs that focus on raising awareness, sharing preventative information, and offering medical care and treatment to all people living with HIV. "I am so grateful to all of the EJAF friends participating in this Kwippit project for sharing their creativity with us, supporting our work, remaining steadfast to the cause, and believing in our ideals," Sir Elton said in a statement. - Billboard, 12/1/17...... Beloved comedic actor Jim Nabors, best known for starring on The Andy Griffith Show and later in his own spin-off series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., died at his home in Hawaii on Nov. 30. He was 87. A native of Alabama, Mr. Nabors also recorded more than two dozen albums with a rich, operatic baritone voice that surprised those who were used to hearing him exclaim "Gawwwleee!" with a Southern twang on television. For many years, Mr. Nabors also sang "Back Home Again in Indiana" during the opening ceremonies for the Indianapolis 500. Born James Thurston Nabors on June 12, 1930, in Sylacauga, Ala., Mr. Nabors sang in high school and acted in fraternity productions at the University of Alabama. After graduating with a degree in business administration, he moved to New York and worked as a typist and answered phones at the United Nations. In the early 1960s, Mr. Nabors was a regular performer at The Horn, a cabaret theater on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica that showcased new talent, when he was spotted by Andy Griffith, who thought Nabors would be perfect to play a new character on his CBS sitcom. That would be Gomer, a dim-witted, affable mechanic at Wally's filling station in Mayberry and a cousin of Goober (George Lindsey). Mr. Nabors was signed for just one episode, which aired midway through The Andy Griffith Show's third season in December 1962, but Gomer proved popular, and Mr. Nabors went on to appear in 23 installments of the series. Mr. Nabors' run on The Andy Griffith Show culminated with the fourth-season finale in which Gomer joins the U.S. Marines. With Pvt. Pyle being hounded by tough but caring drill sergeant Vince Carter (Frank Sutton), Gomer Pyle, USMC aired for five years (1964-69) on CBS and was a great success in the ratings -- always in the top 10 and No. 2 in its final season -- before the actor decided to pursue other activities, which included hosting his own variety show, The Jim Nabors Hour. It lasted two seasons and featured some of his Gomer Pyle co-stars. Mr. Nabors also had roles in such movies as The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Stroker Ace (1983) and Cannonball Run II (1984). Mr. Nabors, who underwent a liver transplant in 1994, starred regularly at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Dome in The Jim Nabors Polynesian Extravaganza, which in the 1980s was one of the state's top showbiz attractions. He lived in Hawaii for more than 30 years and had homes in Honolulu and Maui, where he had a macadamia nut farm. In Jan. 2013, Mr. Nabors exchanged wedding vows with Stan Cadwallader, his partner of almost four decades, before a judge in a Seattle hotel room. Mr. Nabors met Cadwallader, a former firefighter in Honolulu, in 1975. "In Mayberry, there was no illness. There was no war. There was no violence. There was no graffiti. We all had a good time, and we laughed a lot," he said in a 2000 interview. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/30/17.

AC/DC co-founding guitarist Malcolm Young was laid to rest in Sydney, Australia on Nov. 28 in a private ceremony attended by family, including his younger brother and sole original remaining AC/DC member Angus Young, and former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd. Malcolm, 64, who died on Nov. 18 after a three-year battle with dementia, was also mourned by Australian concert promoter Michael Chugg and Australian rock singer Jimmy Barnes during the service at St. Mary's Cathedral. Hundreds of fans lined the streets outside the cathedral, where eulogies were read by a family member and David Albert, a rep from AC/DC's longtime catalog management company. Following the service, the funeral procession left the church as the traditional Australian ballad "Waltzing Matilda" was played by a pipe band. - Billboard, 11/28/17...... The Bruce Springsteen Broadway show "Springsteen on Broadway" has had its run extended through June 30. The show, which opened at The Walter Kerr Theater on Oct. 12, was extended from the originally announced end date of November to Feb. 28 before it had even begun. The New York Post reported shortly after the shows started that viewers were reduced to tears watching Springsteen perform. In other Springsteen-related news, The Boss' childhood home at 39 Institute St. in Freehold, N.J., has been put up for auction, with a starting bid of $269,900. The duplex, where the rock icon lived between the ages of 6 and 19, is featured on the front cover of his 2016 autobiography Born to Run and is the location where he saw the first television appearance by Elvis Presley when he was just 7, famously inspiring him to become a musician. The modest 736-square-foot house was built in 1905 and is listed on the real estate website Zillow.com. - Stereogum.com/New Musical Express, 11/27/17...... The family of late Steely Dan member Walter Becker has responded to a lawsuit recently filed by Steely Dan's Donald Fagen, whose lawyers claim that Becker's widow had demanded 50% ownership of Steely Dan, which violated an agreement that both Becker and Fagen had signed in 1972. In that agreement, they said that, if a member of the group quit or died, the remaining members would buy back all the shares of that member's stock of the band. Becker and Fagen were the last two remaining owners, which would then in turn make Fagen the last stockholder. Becker's estate lawyers are contending that agen's suit is "riddled with half-truths and omissions," and make a shocking claim that Fagen sent a demand letter to Becker's estate on the same day that Becker died (Sept. 3). "Since Walter's passing, we have endeavored to achieve a compromise with Mr. Fagen," the statement reads. "Mr. Fagen's third and current lawyer did not even attempt to contact us prior to filing a lawsuit. While we regret Mr. Fagen's latest actions, we will vigorously defend against his unwarranted and frivolous case," it continues. - Stereogum.com, 11/27/17...... Eric Clapton announced on Nov. 27 that he'll be returning to the UK's Hyde Park for a huge British Summer Time Festival gig in the summer of 2018. Slowhand will take the Great Oak stage on July 8, his first concert at the venue since 2008. "I have happy memories of performing in Hyde Park in the past," Clapton said in a statement. "I'm really looking forward to playing there again -- the whole atmosphere is very special." Opening for the 72-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will be his former Blind Faith bandmate Steve Winwood along with Carlos Santana and Gary Clark, Jr.. Clapton becomes the fourth confirmed headliner at British Summertime, which launched in 2013, joining an already announced line up of Roger Waters, Michael Buble and Bruno Mars. - New Musical Express, 11/27/17...... Three recently discovered microbe species that live in guts of termites have been named after the Canadian power trio Rush after scientists at the University Of British Columbia discovered the three new species. The microbes will be forever known as "P. leei," "P. lifesoni," and "P. pearti" after Rush's Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart ."A Spanish postdoc, Javier del Campo, asked me to recommend some good Canadian music, and I suggested he listen to Rush," University Of British Columbia microbiologist Patrick Keeling explained in a statement. Earlier in 2017, Rush also had a set of capybara triplets (a S. American mammal that resembles a giant guinea pig) named after them. - Stereogum.com, 11/28/17...... Some fans who attended a recent Robert Plant concert at Civic Hall in Wolverhampton, UK are complaining of overcrowding that caused a "small number" of them to faint due to the heat inside the venue. "In the first 20 minutes I saw six or seven people being carried out of the hall after collapsing," audience member Scott Campbell said. "I go to a lot of concerts but I had never seen anything like it." Plant, who was born in nearby West Bromwich, played at the venue, which has a capacity of 3000, on Nov. 20. Campbell said that he tried and failed to get inside the venue's main hall, and ended up leaving the gig to go home. A spokesman for the City of Wolverhampton Council issued a statement saying, "While the Civic Hall meets the required health and safety standards, it is an 80-year-old building and improvements to the ventilation and heating system are part of the planned refurbishment scheme." - NME, 11/23/17...... Arlo Guthrie played his annual Thanksgiving concert at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York on Nov. 25. Guthrie has played a total of 54 performances at Carnegie -- often with fellow good friend Pete Seeger -- and says he was "literally shaking" the first few times he played the historic venue. "I knew the history of that stage and it scared me. It took a few years to be able to breathe and sing at the same time. Now it feels like going home. We've done it so often and so many times that it's very enjoyable and something I look forward to doing every year," he said. Guthrie is currently in the midst of his Re:Generation Tour, which includes his son Abe Guthrie and daughter Sarah Lee Guthrie. "I've seen my kids mature as performers, which I love," Guthrie says. "Abe and Sara Lee in particular have become really good up there, which I love. And when we all get together it's family. It's fun. We don't have any divas in this family, so it makes it easy," he added. Guthrie says he's working on "nothing in particular" in regards to new music. "We've got so much in the catalog at this point, there's not enough time to do them," he notes. And while the current turbulent times may seem to call for new Guthrie songs, he says he feels the old ones will actually suffice. "We've already got some good songs about this stuff. This is obviously not the sunny day that we had imagined might be here at this point. It looks awful cold and cloudy... Despite everything I think the world is evolving, and the destiny I see is a lot brighter than what other people see sometimes. I don't know if I'll still be around when we finally get there, but I'm confident we will get there." - Billboard, 11/24/17...... Diaries written by John Lennon are among 100 items belonging to the late Beatle that were stolen from his widow Yoko Ono in 2006 and recently recovered by police in Berlin, Germany. Lennon's diaries are currently on display at Berlin police headquarters -- along with two pairs of his iconic round specs, a tape recording of a Beatles concert, sheet music and a cigarette case. The collection of items were stolen from Ono in 2006, and German media have reported that Ono has identified the goods from photos she was shown at the German consulate in New York. German police have arrested a 58-year-old man, while a second suspect -- who used to work for Ono -- is currently "unattainable," according to Martin Steltner, a spokesman for the Berlin prosecutor's office. - New Musical Express, 11/22/17...... Former Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert is claiming director Oliver Stone once sexually harassed her during an audition for Stone's 1991 The Doors biopic of the same name. On Nov. 20, Gilbert told Andy Cohen harassed her as "revenge" for embarrassing him in a social situation. "He wrote this special scene that he wanted me to do for him physically in the casting room, and it was humiliating and horrid," Gilbert said. "He got me back and it hurt." Stone responded to the accusation the following day, saying all actors who auditioned were told the experience would be extreme. "It was made clear from the outset that our film was going to be a raunchy, no-holds-barred rock 'n' roll movie," Stone said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "Anyone auditioning was told the scenes would be rehearsed and performed from a script, with my casting director, Risa Bramon Garcia, present throughout the process to ensure a safe environment for all actors who auditioned," he added. - Billboard, 11/21/17...... Even superfans of Pink Floyd will learn something new with author Jean-Michel Guesdon's new book Pink Floyd All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. The book details the origins of nearly 200 songs, features almost 500 photos, and reveals behind-the-scenes stories. - Entertainment Weekly, 11/25/17...... It's tough for Rock and Roll Hall of Famers like Cheap Trick to do wrong, and they deck their first ever Christmas LP, Christmas, Christmas, with plenty of personality. Part of the appeal is their unique slate of songs: They've got three originals ("Merry Christmas Darlings" is the best) along with covers of holiday deep cuts by Harry Nilsson and glam rockers Wizzard. The energy's so high, you'll want to save this one for after the eggnog and rum. - Entertainment Weekly, 11/25/17...... A documentary about the life and work of Mister Rogers host Fred Rogers has been given a June 8, 2018, release date after Focus Features has acquired the worldwide rights to the movie, called Won't You Be My Neighbor? Directed by Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom), the film is described as an "intimate portrait of Rogers, a creative genius who inspired generations of children with compassion and limitless imagination." Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, one of the longest running series on PBS wrapped production in 2000 after 31 seasons, but PBS continuously ran reruns of the series through Aug. 2008. Fred Rogers died in 2003 at age 74 from stomach cancer. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/27/17...... American soul singer Wayne Cochran, known for his outlandish outfits and white pompadour hairstyle and sometimes referred to as "The White Knight of Soul," died in Miramar, Florida, on Nov. 21 at age 78. The blue-eyed crooner was best known for his signature song "Last Kiss," which he performed with the C.C. Riders. Launching his career in the 1950s, Cochran blended rockabilly and country sounds and by 21 penned the song that would become his lasting legacy: "Last Kiss." He released the tragic story song about a doomed love affair, a car crash and a final wish from a dying lover in 1961, but it was a pair of covers, by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers in 1964 and Pearl Jam in 1998, that made the track famous years later. Cochran recorded his final album, Cochran, for Epic Records in 1972, then toured and made television appearances. He retired from music to become an evangelist minister in Miami, Fla. - Billboard, 11/27/17.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

David Cassidy, the former teen idol whose role as Keith Partridge in the '70s sitcom The Partridge Family rocketed him to international stardom, died on Nov. 21 in a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., hospital after suffering from multiple organ failure. He was 67. Cassidy, who announced earlier in 2017 that he had been diagnosed with dementia, died surrounded by his family, according to a statement released by the family. "David died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long," the statement said. "Thank you for the abundance and support you have shown him these many years." Born in New York City in 1950, David was the son of actors Jack Cassidy and Evelyn Ward and half-brother of entertainer Shaun Cassidy. His parents split up when he was 5 and he would long express regret about his father, who soon married his future The Partridge Family co-star Shirley Jones, being mostly absent from his life. Cassidy stayed with his mother and by the early 1960s had moved to Los Angeles. After being expelled from high school for truancy, Cassidy dreamed of becoming an actor and had made appearances on such popular 1960s series as Bonanza and Ironside before producers at ABC television asked him to audition for The Partridge Family, unaware that he could sing and intending at first to have him mime songs to someone else's voice. David, who only learned during tryouts that his real life mother in law Jones would play his mother, later said he worried that Keith Partridge would be a "real comedown" from his previous roles. "I mean, how much could an actor do with a line like, 'Hi, Mom, I'm home from school,' or 'Please pass the milk?"' he wrote in his memoir. "I didn't see how it could do much for me. After all, I wasn't the star of it. Shirley had top billing; I was just one of the kids." Airing on ABC from 1970-1974, The Partridge Family was a fictional variation of the '60s family pop group The Cowsills, intended at first as a vehicle for Shirley Jones, the Oscar winning actress and Cassidy's stepmother. Jones played matriarch Shirley Partridge, a widow with five children with whom she forms a popular act that travels on a psychedelic bus. The cast also featured Cassidy as eldest son and family heartthrob Keith Partridge; Susan Dey, later of L.A. Law fame, as sibling Laurie Partridge, and Danny Bonaduce as sibling Danny Partridge. The Partridges' best known song, "I Think I Love You," spent three weeks on top of the Billboard chart, and the group also reached the top 10 with "I'll Meet You Halfway" and "Doesn't Somebody Want to be Wanted"; Cassidy had a solo hit with "Cherish." The singer went on to release 10 Partridge Family albums and five solo efforts while touring to sold-out crowds through the mid-1970s. His records sold an estimated 30 million worldwide, and at one point his fan club had more members than those of Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Feeling besieged by the attention of his female admirers, Cassidy quit The Partridge Family -- which ended its run in 1974 after 96 episodes -- and focused on recording a string of well-received albums for RCA Records, including 1975's The Higher They Climb and 1976's Home is Where the Heart Is, landing a hit in 1975 with "I Write the Songs," a track that would go on to become Barry Manilow's signature track. In December 1972, Cassidy consented to a cover story interview with Rolling Stone magazine in which he admitted to experimenting with marijuana and alcohol, and his appeal faded after the series went off the air, however he continued to tour, record and act over the next 40 years. Success overseas included "The Last Kiss," featuring backing vocals from Cassidy admirer George Michael. He made occasional stage and television appearances, including an Emmy-nominated performance on Police Story, in the 1980s, and toured with a variety of musical productions. In the late 1990s and early 2000s he joined the Las Vegas shows "EFX" and "At the Copa." Cassidy, by now thrice-married, continued touring until announcing his retirement in Feb. 2017, at which time he revealed he was suffering from non-Alzheimer's dementia. Meanwhile, The Partridge Family remained popular in re-runs and Cassidy, who kept his dark bangs and boyish appearance well into middle age, frequently turned up for reunions and spoke often about his early success. "So many people come up to me and talk to me about the impact it (the show) had," he told Arsenio Hall in 1990. Through ups and downs, including well-documented struggles with alcohol and a series of DUI arrests in the 2000s, Cassidy maintained the kind of sunny demeanor that had endeared him to a generation of fans. "I'm an optimist. I mean, you have to be with my career," he said in his official bio. "I've never gone out and changed my style to suit the times. I have always stayed true to myself by using the work ethic my father instilled in me, to strive for the best musically, theatrically, as well as in producing and writing. He taught me to be fearless about revealing the frailties and strengths of the human experience. Bringing that human element to my work is the most important thing I can do as an entertainer." Earlier in 2017, Cassidy shared that at age 66, his health was starting to fail, and told People magazine in February that he had been diagnosed with dementia. "I was in denial, but part of me always knew this was coming," the performer told the magazine. His grandfather and his mother both had dementia, he told the magazine. Signs of the illness had already begun to show in Cassidy's performances. During a concert in Agoura Hills, Calif., earlier this year, the former teen idol was witnessed forgetting lyrics to songs he had been performing for years. Because of his diagnosis, Cassidy stopped touring earlier in 2017, saying he wanted to focus on his health. The flood of tributes to Cassidy on Twitter include posts from the likes of Brian Wilson, Marie Osmond, Gloria Gaynor, Rick Springfield, Richard Marx, Tom Arnold and Larry King. - Associated Press/Billboard, 11/22/17.

The widow of a lawyer who represented the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Sonny and Cher, and other classic rock musicians is auctioning off several rare items of memorabilia through a Reno, Nev., art gallery and auction house from Nov. 22 through Dec. 9. Hal and Jesse Kant's memorabilia collection includes signed artwork by Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia, and backstage passes from concerts spanning 30 years. Some of the more than 100 items, which also include a colorful set of banners used as the backdrops for 88 GD concerts around the world and a poster from a Lake Tahoe show in 1968, could go for as much as $100,000 in the online auction conducted by Stremmel Auctions. - AP, 11/19/17...... The Eagles announced on Nov. 21 that they'll kick off a 12-city 2018 tour on Mar. 14 in Chicago, with a rotating group of high-profile opening acts including Jimmy Buffett, James Taylor and Chris Stapleton joining the tour for stadium dates later. In addition to the "Evening with the Eagles" arena concerts in Chicago, Nashville (3/23), Vancouver (5/10), Toronto (7/15) and Boston (7/20) with no opener on the bill, the Eagles will be supported by Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band in Orlando, Fla. (4/14), Miami (4/21), Denver (6/28) and Minneapolis (6/30). James Taylor and his All-Star Band will open for the band in Washington, D.C., on July 26, and in Philadelphia on July 28. Chris Stapleton will be the opener at the Eagles' show in Arlington, Tex. on June 23. The Eagles' 2014 "History of the Eagles Tour," which was deemed their final-ever outing, sold out Madison Square Garden five times and broke several U.S. box office records. - Billboard, 11/21/17...... Surviving Steely Dan member Donald Fagen has filed a lawsuit against the estate of his recently deceased bandmate Walter Becker in an effort to keep the band's name and music alive. At the center of the lawsuit is a 1972 Buy/Sell Agreement signed by the original bandmembers when Steely Dan was incorporated. According to the complaint, which was filed on Nov. 21 in L.A. County Superior Court, the contract provides that whenever a member of the group quits or dies Steely Dan purchases all of that members shares in the group. "By the 2010s, Fagen and Becker were the only remaining shareholders and signatories to the Buy/Sell Agreement," the lawsuit states. Four days after Becker's death, on Sept. 7, 2017, the Becker Defendants sent Fagen a letter stating that 'We wanted to put you on notice that the Buy/Sell Agreement dated as of Oct. 31, 1972 is of no force or effect.'" The letter also sought to appoint Becker's widow as an officer of Steely Dan and demanded 50% ownership, according to the complaint. Fagen also says the Becker defendants currently operate the band's website and refuse to relinquish or share control of it. Fagen is also suing the group's business management firm, Nigro, Karlin, Segal, Feldstein & Bolno in an effort to obtain an accounting, claiming the firm has been withholding records. Fagen is seeking upwards of $1 million in damages and is asking the court for a declaratory judgment that the "Buy/Sell" provision is valid and enforceable, and that he is the sole owner of the Steely Dan name and all rights associated with it. Fagen's lawyer, Skip Miller, says the lawsuit is "about a contract, the enforcement of that contract and the continuity of Steely Dan... We think the contract is very clear on its face and we hope this lawsuit is resolved expeditiously." - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/21/17...... Stevie Wonder has announced the lineup for his 2017 House Full of Toys Benefit Concert at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Dec. 10. Joining Wonder in this year's 21st edition of the charity benefit is "Rise Up" singer Andra Day along with Pharrell Williams, Dave Matthews, Savion Glover and Tony Bennett. Even though House Full of Toys will be celebrating 21 years, the joy of giving in the spirit of song will make this night such pleasured fun for the old and young," Wonder says in a statement. The event encourages concertgoers to bring unwrapped toys and gifts of joy for families in need, children and individuals with disabilities. - Billboard, 11/20/17...... In other Motown-related news, Diana Ross accepted a Lifetime Achievemet Award at the 2017 American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 19. After a montage of Ross' accomplishments, including her performance at Super Bowl XXX and performing "Endless Love" with Lionel Richie at the 1982 Academy Awards, Ross strutted onstage in a puffy purple dress and performed "I'm Coming Out," "Take Me Higher," "Ease on Down the Road," "Best Years of My Life" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." Once her set concluded, a "humbled" Diana watched her family walk onto the stage to present her with the lifetime achievement award that capped the show. "With integrity, grace and generosity you've blazed a way," said Rhonda Ross-Kendrick, the singer's daughter, before allowing her mother to thank her all avid supporters. - Billboard, 11/19/17...... Sons of late iconic rock 'n' roll singer/songwriter Roy Orbison have filed a complaint in New York state court against Hologram USA, claiming the company failed to keep up its end of a deal for a Roy Orbison hologram show and is now interfering with their efforts to create one with a new partner. According to the complaint, Hologram USA approached Orbison's sons in 2014 about creating a 90-minute performance by an Orbison hologram. Under their deal, a prototype was to be delivered for review within 9 months. By Oct. 2016, Roy's Boys still hadn't seen one and sent Hologram USA a notice of termination. Then this spring, Orbison's sons formed a new partnership with another company called BASE Holograms, and in the fall it announced tours in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Hologram USA wasn't thrilled, and disputed the termination. Orbison's sons are asking the court for a declaration that its agreement with Hologram USA was properly terminated and for an injunction barring the company from using any Roy Orbison trademarks or intellectual property. - Billboard, 11/21/17...... Neil Young has announced a one-off intimate homecoming show called "Somewhere in Canada," in a yet-to-be-determined venue with a capacity of about 200. Young, 72, was born in Toronto, but spent some teen years in Winnipeg where he started his first band. He returned to Toronto in the mid-60s for a spell before relocating to the U.S. in the late 60s. The show, which will take place on Dec. 1, is being directed by Young's actress girlfriend, Daryl Hannah, in partnership with his Shakey Pictures. It will be live streamed in Canada on CTV.ca and iHeartRadio's Secret Sessions, and worldwide on Facebook. - Billboard, 11/21/17...... Former AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson issued a statement on Nov. 20 that paid emotional tribute to late AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young, who died on Nov. 18 after a three-year battle with dementia. "I am saddened by the passing of my friend Malcolm Young, I can't believe he's gone. We had such great times on the road. He has left a legacy that I don't think many can match," Johnson posted on his official website. "He never liked the celebrity side of fame, he was too humble for that. He was the man who created AC/DC because he said 'there was no Rock'n'Roll out there.' I am proud to have known him and call him a friend, and I'm going to miss him so much," Johnson added. Johnson joined AC/DC in 1980 following the death of Bon Scott and retired from performing live in 2016. - New Musical Express, 11/20/17....... In author David Yaffe's new Joni Mitchell biography Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell, the singer cooperates with a biographer for the first time. Yaffe, a Syracuse Univ. professor and author of books on jazz and Bob Dylan, had unprecedented access to Mitchell, and he sympathetically traces the outline of her life while offering detailed takes on her albums, and even on her chord changes. But it's Mitchell's candor, in which she recalls such incidents as a late-life miscarriage, her cocaine addiction, and turbulent romantic relationships, that propels the book. - Rolling Stone, 11/16/17...... Rock photographer Neal Preston's new book Exhilarated and Exhausted contains images of his time with such '70s superstars as Led Zeppelin and Elton John, along with stories about the realities of his job, such as nervously approaching Bruce Springsteen to pose for his camera during a concert performance (he did), and Bob Dylan calling him a "leech" at a 1970s industry party. - Rolling Stone, 11/16/17...... Art Garfunkel's new biography What Is It All But Luminous: Notes From an Underground Man is a book unlike any ever released by a rock star. Short segments about Simon and Garfunkel float alongside lists of favorite books and quotes from Shakespeare and Marvin Gaye. Among the poems is one about gettiing a colonic. - Rolling Stone, 11/16/17...... Rolling Stone contributor Anthony DeCurtis's new Lou Reed biography, Lou Reed: A Life, is an exhaustively reported book about a brilliant artist who helped define hipness and the outer limits of rock for generations, fulfilling his goal of fusing the "high literary world with gritty rock & roll." - Rolling Stone, 11/16/17...... Actress Ann Wedgworth, the sexy actress with the whispery voice known for her underrated work in films including Scarecrow and Sweet Dreams as well as a short stint on the ABC sitcom Three's Company, died on Nov. 16 after a long illness in a nursing home not far from her home in New York City. She was 83. In 1978, the Texas native won the Tony Award for best featured actress in a play for her portrayal of the witty best friend of a soap opera actress who hesitates to date again in Neil Simon's "Chapter Two," directed by Herbert Ross. Ms. Wedgeworth became best known for her role as divorcee Lana Shields in Three’s Company, after performing in numerous soap operas like The Edge of Night and Another World. Her character was written out of Three’s Company after only nine episodes with little explanation. She went on to star in CBS’s Evening Shade starting in 1989, which was her longest role. She played Merleen Eldridge, the wife of small town doctor Harlan Eldrige. Ms. Wedgeworth was married to actor and voice artist Rip Torn from 1955 to 1961, with whom she has one daughter. In 1970, she married acting coach Ernest Martin, with whom she had another daughter and stepson. She is survived by Martin, her two daughters, and her stepson. - Variety, 11/18/17...... Country music star Mel Tillis, who wrote more than 1,000 songs throughout his career, including "Detroit City" for Bobby Bare, as well as his own hits "Good Woman Blues," "Heart Healer" and "Coca Cola Cowboy," died at the Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Fla., on Nov. 19. He was 85. Mr. Tillis had been battling intestinal issues since 2016, according to his spokesman, and the suspected cause of death was respiratory failure. Born Lonnie Melvin Tillis in Tampa, Fla., Mr. Tillis suffered a spell of malaria as a boy that left him with a chronic stutter. His stutter became a trademark that Tillis mined for laughs, although it disappeared when he sang. In an interview with People magazine in 1976, Mr. Tillis said performing helped him overcome his stutter. "The more I go onstage," he said, "and feel my independence and that power over audiences, the less I stutter." His commercial peak came in the 1970s when he had a string of top 10 C&W hits. In 1998, he became spokesman and honorary chairman of the Stuttering Foundation of America, according to his website. Mr. Tillis also had something of an acting career, with small roles in a number of films such as The Cannonball Run and Smokey and the Bandit II. He also made a TV appearance in an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard in the late '70s. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007, and in Feb. 2012 Pres. Barack Obama awarded him the National Medal of Arts -- the highest honor given to artists by the US government. - CNN, 11/19/17...... Della Reese, the jazz, gospel and pop singing legend who later moved into TV and film, died on Nov. 20 at age 86. Ms. Reese turned to television and film starting in the late 1960s, hosting her own talk show Della, and later starring opposite Redd Foxx in Harlem Nights (1989), Martin Lawrence in A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) and Elliott Gould in Expecting Mary (2010). She also starred as Tess on Touched By an Angel, and her most recent television appearance was earlier this year on Bates Motel. - Deadline.com, 11/20/17...... Warren "Pete" Moore, an original member of the legendary Motown singing group The Miracles, died on Nov. 19 of as yet undisclosed causes, He was 78. Moore served as co-writer on many of the Miracles' singles, including their classic "The Tracks of My Tears," "Ooo Baby Baby," "My Girl Has Gone" and "Love Machine," as well as hits by Motown artists like Marvin Gaye ("Ain't That Peculiar," "I'll Be Doggone") and the Temptations' ("Since I Lost My Baby") Moore also produced the Miracles' "Here I Go Again" and "Baby Baby Don't Cry." After frontman Smokey Robinson left the Miracles in 1971, Moore remained with the group until their dissolution in 1978. In 2012, Moore was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside The Miracles. - 11/20/17...... George Avakian, a record producer and talent scout who played a key role in the early careers of Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Keith Jarrett and Bob Newhart, among many others, died on Nov. 22 at his home in on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He was 98. Mr. Avakian brought The Everly Brothers to Warner Bros.' newly formed record label in 1959, and signed a young humorist named Bob Newhart, who had been working as an accountant in Chicago and moonlighting as a radio performer but had never performed for a live audience. Newhart's first album, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, became one of the best-selling comedy records of all time. - 11/22/17...... Infamous cult leader Charles Manson, who shocked the world in 1969 after his "Manson Family" committed the murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and eight other victims on his orders, died of natural causes on Nov. 19 in a Bakersfield, Calif., hospital, according to the California Department of Corrections. He was 83. On Aug. 9, 1969, actress Tate was found stabbed to death in her Hollywood home, while other victims included celebrity hair stylist Jay Sebring and coffee empire heiress Abigail Folger. When police investigated the deaths, they discovered that Manson had sent his followers to commit the murders as part of a sickening belief that it would start a race war which had been prophesied in the 1968 song "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles. After being sentenced to death in 1971, Manson's conviction was eventually commuted into a life sentence, with him remaining imprisoned in California until his death. Before the murders, the Ohio-born Manson also spent time as a singer-songwriter on the L.A. music scene, and several recordings of his music have been released over the years to capitalize on his notoriety -- most recently, it was revealed that some of Manson's prison recordings were set for another release. An album of Manson's music originally released in 1970 called Lie: The Love and Terror Cult failed miserably in a commercial sense, but remains a popular cult collectible among those who are interested in the Manson murders. The album cover virtually recreates the Dec. 19, 1969 cover of Life magazine, which featured Manson; only the "F" in "LIFE" and the line "The dark edge of hippie life" were removed. Manson also lived with Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson at one point, and co-wrote a Beach Boys song. However Manson didn't appreciate Wilson's producers tampering with his music and eventually pulled a knife during the sessions, souring the relationship. - NME/Billboard, 11/20/17.

Monday, November 13, 2017

Neil Young announced on Nov. 15 that he'll be releasing his new album, The Visitor, along with an entire high-quality digital catalog on Dec. 1. "December 1st will be a big day for me," Young posted on Facebook. "The Visitor will be coming to your town. I will be going to my town. You will be able to hear me and see me. My archive will open on that same day, a place you can visit and experience every song I have ever released in the highest quality your machine will allow. It's the way it's supposed to be. In the beginning, everything is free." Young says he built his Neil Young Archives site "for myself as much as for everyone else," according to a welcome note. The NYA will use Xstream Music high resolution streaming by OraStream to offer uncompressed master recordings. A timeline on the archives will outline "when and how the music was made" throughout his career. "Every single, recorded track or album I have produced is represented," he says. Info cards with album contents, art and credits will be available, as well as a filing cabinet to present all of Young's songs chronologically, with their corresponding media, memorabilia, press clips and more. - Billboard, 11/15/17...... Kiss member Gene Simmons has reportedly been banned from the Fox News Channel for life after exposing his belly and attacking staff with a copy of his new book, On Power. On Nov. 16, as he appeared on the FNC show Fox & Friends to promote the book, Simmons reportedly left the set and barged into a staff meeting, before making crude insults to the female staff members and shouting "Hey ladies, sue me!," then lifting his shirt up. One witness said Simmons also made Michael Jackson-related paedophilia jokes, before hitting each staff member on the head with a copy of On Power, and remarking that the sound it made suggested they were lacking in intelligence. Simmons' actions have resulted in his picture being put up at the Manhattan building's entrance, and the star receiving a lifetime ban from Fox News. A representitive for Simmons declined to comment. Elsewhere, commenting on the Harvey Weinstein controversy, Simmons said, "The lunatics have taken over the insane asylum when respected business entities such as yourself ask guys that like to stick their tongues out what I think of Harvey Weinstein. Okay, I'm a powerful and attractive man, and what I'm about to say is deadly serious. Men are jackasses. From the time we're young we have testosterone. I'm not validating it or defending it." - New Musical Express, 11/17/17...... Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song," which originally appeared on the band's 1970 set Led Zeppelin III, has once again climbed to No. 1 on Billboard Hard Rock Digital Song Sales roundup after being featured in the newly-released movie Thor: Ragnarok. "Immigrant Song" previously achieved the No. 1 position on the same chart in April 2017 after appearing in the film's trailer. Downloads of "Immigrant" increased by a whopping 977 percent to 18,000 sold in the week ending Nov. 9, up from 2,000 in the previous week. "Immigrant" also returned to the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart at No. 4, where older songs can re-enter if showing a meaningful increase and ranking in the top 25. The song previously hit No. 16 powered by the Thor trailer earlier this year. Meanwhile, Led Zep's 2007 greatest hits compilation Mothership leaped from 166 to 80 with a 70% gain to 8,000 equivalent album units. Mothership also jumped from No. 11 to No. 2 on the Hard Rock Albums chart. - Billboard 11/15/17...... In related news, actor Jack Black, who also used "Immigrant Song" in his 2003 movie School of Rock, has challenged Thor star Chris Hemsworth to a Battle of the Jams to settle the "claim" to the song. Black, who went as far as to beg for Led Zeppelin's permission to use the song in his film by filming the Battle of the Bands scene to enlist the crowd in his begging, tweeted "This is a challenge!" to Hemsworth. Hemsworth seemed equal parts uncomfortable and confused when he posted his response to Instagram, saying, "You're right, you got me! Guilty as charged." Hemsworth then posted compliments to the School of Rock faux music professor, writing "We stole 'Immigrant Song' from you. But guess what? You stole it, too. And as Oscar Wilde once said, 'Talent borrows and genius steals.' So, we're both guilty of the same crime." - Billboard, 11/13/17...... Fleetwood Mac announced on Nov. 15 that they will reissue their self-titled 1975 album, featuring unreleased material, on Jan. 19 via Warner Bros. The remastered album will be available in three different formats: a single-CD, a 2-CD collection featuring unreleased studio and live recordings, and a 3-CD/LP/DVD deluxe edition that features additional live material. The unreleased material includes live performances of several tracks, including "Rhiannon," "Landslide" and "Say You Love Me." The live songs were recorded during concerts in 1976, and the deluxe edition will include 14 additional unreleased live tracks. The deluxe edition will also include the original album pressed on 180-gram vinyl, plus a DVD featuring 5.1 surround sound and high-resolution 24/96 stereo audio mixes of the record. Earlier in 2017, the Mac's Christine McVie revealed the band would launch a world tour in 2018. "We're going to start rehearsing in March, next year. The tour is around June. It will be global," she said. - New Musical Express, 11/16/17...... Late Steely Dan member Walter Becker's wife Delia issued a statement on Nov. 15 saying that her husband died "in the course of being treated for an extremely aggressive form of esophageal cancer." Becker passed away on Sept. 3 at age 6, less than four months after he was diagnosed. "Walter passed peacefully in our New York City home, surrounded by his family, his music, and a blustery rainstorm -- one of his favorite sounds -- blowing outside the window," she writes. "In keeping with his wishes, he was cremated without ceremony or memorial in New York City. Understandably, Walter wanted privacy during the course of his illness and he hoped for recovery. He wanted to be able to return to the stage and once again perform for his fans. It's important to me, as it was to Walter, that you all know he never intended to keep anyone in the dark about his condition. He just ran out of time much sooner than any of us thought possible," she added. Delia also thanked fans for the "tsunami" of tributes and remembrances that have come in the past two months, calling them "deeply moving." "Thank you, everyone, for helping me and his loved ones know that Walter's mark on the world -- and on all of you -- will not soon fade," she wrote. Becker was absent at both of Steely Dan's performances during July's Classic West and Classic East concerts due to an unspecified illness. In August, his bandmate Donald Fagen said that his bandmate was "recovering from a procedure," but didn't elaborate further. Fagen recently embarked on the first Steely Dan tour since the death of Becker. - NME, 11/15/17...... Jeff Lynne has announced his latest incarnation of Electric Light Orchestra will embark on its first U.S. tour in over 35 years on Aug. 2, 2018 at Oakland, California's Oracle Arena. The tour will then zig-zag across North America, playing Los Angeles (8/4), Denver (8/8), Houston (8/10), Dallas (8/13), Rosemont, Ill. (8/15), Detroit (8/16), Toronto (8/18) and New York's Madison Square Garden (8/21) before wrapping at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center on Aug. 24. The tour comes days before the arrival of ELO's new Wembley Or Bust. live album and DVD ."Our audiences are amazing. It's like they're in the group. We can't wait to play for them again," Lynne said in a statement. After a nearly 30-year hiatus, Lynne revived ELO in Sept. 2014 under the moniker "Jeff Lynne's Electric Light Orchestra" at the sold-out BBC Radio 2's Festival in a Day. They performed at the Grammy Awards in Feb. 2015 and released Alone in the Universe -- the first album credited to "Jeff Lynne's ELO" -- the following November, promoting the release with rare performances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS This Morning. - Billboard, 11/13/17...... A concert special of Barbara Streisand's "The Music| The Mem'ries| The Magic!" 2016-17 tour will premiere globally on the Netflix streaming service on Nov. 22. In the Miami concert, Streisand strolls through her six-decade career, up to her 35th studio album, Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway. The album, released in Aug. 2016, became Streisand's 11th No. 1 album and featured the diva performing with a number of collaborators, including Melissa McCarthy, Anne Hathaway and Jamie Foxx. - Billboard, 11/13/17...... Long imprisoned cult leader Charles Manson is reportedly in grave condition at a Bakersfield, Calif. hospital with a bleak prognosis. The 83-year-old Manson, who is serving seven life sentences in Corcoran State Prison in California, has been suffering from health issues for some time, and In January he had to be hospitalized for severe intestinal bleeding. He also needed surgery to repair a lesion but doctors said he was too weak and sent him back to prison. Since arriving at the Bakersfield facility three days ago, Manson's been getting various treatments around the hospital, always guarded by five cops. A source familiar with Manson's condition told TMZ.com that "it's not going to get any better for him... it's just a matter of time." Behind bars since 1971, Manson has been denied parole a dozen times. His next hearing is scheduled for 2027. - New York Daily News, 11/15/17...... Rocky star Sylvester Stallone has become one of the latest Hollywood celebrities to be accused of sexual assault. While filming a movie in Las Vegas in 1986, Stallone is alleged to have forced a 16-year-old girl to have sex with him and his bodyguard Michael De Luca at a hotel, according to a police report obtained by the UK's Daily Mail. The unnamed teen claims she was "intimidated" about having sex with Stallone, and became "very uncomfortable" when De Luca joined in but felt she had "no choice." After the incident, the girl said Stallone -- who was 40 at the time -- threatened "to beat her head in" if she told anyone because both men were married. The teen didn't pursue charges against them because she was "humiliated and ashamed" after the encounter, according to the police report. However a spokesperson for Stallone has categorically denied the allegations. "This is a ridiculous, categorically false story," said Stallone rep Michelle Bega. "No one was ever aware of this story until it was published today, including Mr. Stallone. At no time was Mr. Stallone ever contacted by authorities or anyone else regarding this matter." - Postmedia News, 11/16/17...... Queen guitarist Brian May took to Instagram on Nov. 13 to voice his displeasure at a photographer named Barbara Kremer who reported one of his photos for copyright violation. May posted a screenshot of the notification he received, after a user reported one of his photos when he forgot to credit them -- which resulted in his account being suspended. And he wasn't afraid to name and shame. "Well this is what I woke up to," he wrote. "How RUDE! I'm usually very careful to credit anyone whose photos I post -- but in this case, at the end of the day, I must have forgotten. (Barbara Kremer) reported me to Instagram and they not only took the picture down but disabled my whole account until I'd dealt with the issue -- which took about 45 minutes of my time that I could not afford because the link refused to work on my phone." May then made it very clear that Barbara was not welcome at any future gigs: "If I ever discover that you are at one of our concerts in future, look out, because, logically, I will be tempted to have you thrown out." Several Queen fans flocked to support May, with one user commenting: "Please don't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch, as Michael Jackson used to sing." However, another user jumped in to suggest that naming her was unfair: "Yes, poor judgement from her side. But I think you should know better than to hang and shame a regular woman, way below you in society, possibly exposing her for harassment or even death threats." - NME, 11/13/17...... Former The Carol Burnett Show cast member Vicki Lawrence will star in a new sitcom pilot for Fox with a "retirement home" theme called Cool Kids. Lawrence will join David Alan Grier (The Carmichael Show), Leslie Jordan (Will & Grace) and Roseanne alum Martin Mull in the sitcom, from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia masterminds Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton. - Deadline.com, 11/16/17...... Veteran gossip columnist Liz Smith, known as the "Dame of Dish," died in New York on Nov. 12 of natural causes. She was 94. Ms. Smith chronicled the gossip among New York City's rich and scandalous for 60 years and played a key role in the high-profile divorce between Donald and Ivana Trump. For more than a quarter-century, her Daily News column -- titled "Liz Smith" -- was one of the most widely read in the world. Its success was due in part to Smith's own celebrity status, giving her insider access. However unlike some of her rivals, including Walter Winchell, Ms. Smith succeeded with kindness and an aversion to cheap shots. Whether reporting on entertainers, politicians or power brokers, the "Dame of Dish" never bothered with unfounded rumors, sexual preferences or who's-sleeping-with-whom. Ms. Smith later worked in television at WNBC-TV for three nights a week commentary, then jumped to Fox, and she later did work for the cable channel E! Entertainment Television. During that time, she migrated from the Daily News to the rival New York Post and finally to Newsday, ultimately earning salaries well into six figures. Her column was syndicated nationwide, drawing millions of readers. - CBS News, 11/12/17...... Malcolm Young, guitarist and co-founder of legendary Australian rock band AC/DC, died on Nov. 18 after a three-year battle with dementia. He was 64. Young founded AC/DC alongside his brother, Angus Young, in 1973, ten years after the brothers relocated to Sydney, Australia from Glasgow, Scotland. He and Angus had been credited as co-writers on every AC/DC song beginning with debut High Voltage in 1975 through 2014's Rock or Bust. Malcolm last performed with AC/DC in 2010 following the band's tour in support of 2008's Black Ice album, officially retiring from the group in 2014. Malcolm is said to have died peacefully alongside his family, and is survived by his wife, O'Linda, and two children. AC/DC confirmed the news on its website, posting that "it is with deep heartfelt sadness that AC/DC has to announce the passing of Malcolm Young... With enormous dedication and commitment he was the driving force behind the band. As a guitarist, songwriter and visionary he was a perfectionist and a unique man. He always stuck to his guns and did and said exactly what he wanted. He took great pride in all that he endeavored. His loyalty to the fans was unsurpassed." Angus Young added, "As his brother it is hard to express in words what he has meant to me during my life, the bond we had was unique and very special. He leaves behind an enormous legacy that will live on forever. Malcolm, job well done." Other musicians reacting to Malcom's death include Eddie Van Halen, who posted that "it is a sad day in rock and roll. Malcolm Young was my friend and the heart and soul of AC/DC. I had some of the best times of my life with him on our 1984 European tour. He will be missed and my deepest condolences to his family, bandmates and friends." Paul Stanley, Slash, Ozzy Osbourne and Joe Satriani also tweeted their condolences. Malcom's death came just 27 days after his older brother, musician/producer George Young, died at age 70. - Billboard, 11/18/17...... It has been publicly revealed that actor Don Pedro Colley, perhaps best known for playing the straight-shooting Sheriff "Big Ed" Little of Chickasaw County on the 1979-85 CBS action comedy The Dukes of Hazzard, died on Oct. 11 in his hometown of Klamath Falls, Ore., following a long battle with cancer. He was 79. Colley also recurred as Gideon, a friend of Fess Parker's lead character, on NBC's Daniel Boone and appeared on other shows including Daktari, The Wild Wild West, Adam-12, Night Gallery, Ironside, The Streets of San Francisco, Little House on the Prairie, Starsky and Hutch and The A-Team. His big screen credits include Beneath the Planet of the Apes and the first film directed by Star Wars director George Lucas. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/17/17.

An anonymous buyer has paid $396,500 for a Martin D-28 acoustic guitar once owned by Bob Dylan and played by him at such seminal rock events as George Harrison's 1971 Concert for Bangladesh in New York City and during Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour from October 1975 to May 1976. Larry Cragg, Dylan's former guitar repairman and the current owner of the guitar, paid $500 to Dylan in 1977 to buy the instrument, and his original purchase receipt was included in the auction. The auction was conducted by Heritage Auctions in Dallas on Nov. 11. AP, 11/12/17...... A freelance science journalist named Ben Ryan is alleging that Rolling Stone founder and publisher Jann Wenner once offered him a writing deal in exchange for sex back in 2005. Speaking to the website BuzzFeed.com, Ryan said Wenner invited him to come to his apartment to discuss writing opportunities at Men's Journal, then one of his Wenner Media magazines, and to his surprise, kissed him as they were sitting on a couch, but he rejected Wenner's advances. Ryan then claims that Wenner tried to convince him to stay and continue their encounter by offering him a writing deal, which Ryan says he also flatly turned down. Wenner, in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, confirmed the encounter with Ryan but said that an offer was never made. "He turned me down, which I respected," the openly gay Wenner said. "I had no intention of making him feel uncomfortable. His piece was subsequently published in any case; no work was promised and no work was lost. I have never and would never make an offer of this kind." Wenner is also the subject of a new book by media reporter Joe Hagan called Sticky Fingers, which he has since disavowed but originally participated in. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/10/17...... John Cale, a founding member of the late '60s/early '70s band The Velvet Underground, has announced he'll perform two shows at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Nov. 16 and 17 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of VU's iconic 1967 LP The Velvet Underground & Nico. Cale, joined by such special guests as Animal Collective, MGMT, Sky Ferreira and Kurt Vile, will perform the album in its entirety. Cale has also announced he'll be throwing his own birthday party, "John Cale's 75th Birthday Celebration: A Live Audio-Spectrum from Dissonance to Destruction," focusing on his solo work. - Billboard, 11/10/17...... What turned out to be late rock legend Tom Petty's final tour, his 2017 40th anniversary trek with his band the Heartbreakers which began on Apr. 20 in Oklahoma City, Okla., drew a total of 637,671 fans to 44 headlining performances at arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums in the U.S. and Canada. Petty's final stand of three concerts at the Los Angeles amphitheater in September capped a five-month trek through 36 North American cities that grossed more than $61 million during its run. The Hollywood Bowl stint was ultimately the highest-grossing date on the jaunt, with a $5.3 million take from 49,217 sold seats on Sept. 21, 22 and 25. The only other three-show run was in Berkeley, California, in late August at the Hearst Greek Theatre. Petty also made a handful of festival appearances during the summer, among them a headlining slot on the final night of British Summer Time, a six-night festival at London's Hyde Park. It was his only European event this year, and marked only his second performance in the U.K. in two decades. The tour's success makes it on track to potentially rank among 2017's top 25 tours for the first time since 2010 when it ended the year at No. 14 based on $45 million in sales. - Billboard, 11/10/17...... Elton John celebrated the 25th anniversary of his Elton John AIDS Foundation on Nov. 7 at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City by delivering a teary and emotional speech about his efforts to raise awareness and fight against AIDS. After the mother of Ryan White, an Indiana teenager who became the poster child for HIV awareness during the 1980s AIDS crisis, spoke passionately about how the iconic rocker visited her son while he was sick and helped her family financially, John said the White family "lit a little candle in my soul." "Six months after Ryan passed away, I got help and I became sober," Elton said. The Elton John AIDS Foundation launched in 1992 in the United States and in the United Kingdom a year later. The two organizations have raised more than $385 million since then, and John said 98 percent of what is raised is used to help others. John told the audience that he's convinced his struggle to end the AIDS epidemic will be successful by 2030. Also attending "An Enduring Vision: A Benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation" were host Neil Patrick Harris along with Billy Joel, Sting, Sheryl Crow and actresses Glenn Close and Susan Lucci. The event raised more than $700,000 in a live auction. - AP, 11/8/17...... I In related news, former Pink Floyd principal Roger Waters wrapped the opening leg of his Us + Them World Tour in Vancouver on Oct. 28 and 29, the last stop on a 45-city trek through North America that launched in late May. The tour's latest jaunt, from Oct. 2-29, has grossed over $18 million and ranks among the top 10 top-grossing tours for the week ending Nov. 10. So far the tour has racked up a total of $89 million in ticket sales from 63 concerts scheduled during a five-month stretch. More than 734,000 fans of the Pink Floyd alum caught the tour in North American markets during the run. - Billboard, 11/10/17...... The Eagles have shared audio of their first live performance of "New Kid in Town" in 1976 from their three-night stand at The Forum in Los Angeles, several weeks before the December release of their now classic Hotel California album. Co-written by lead singer Glenn Frey along with Eagles drummer/vocalist Don Henley and close band friend J.D. Souther, "New Kid in Town" would go on to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart and win a Grammy for best vocal arrangement for two or more voices. The live "New Kid in Town" is one of 10 tunes featured on the Eagles' upcoming Hotel California: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, which hits stores on Nov. 24. The 2-CD/1 Blu-ray Audio set includes a newly remastered version of the original album and the 10 concert tracks. The accompanying Blu-Ray audio disc features the 5.1 Surround Sound mix originally released on DVD-A in 2001. A more economically priced 2 CD remastered version of the album will be released the same day. - Billboard, 11/9/17...... A musical cast recording of the forthcoming Jimmy Buffett-based musical "Escape to Margaritaville" has been announced for release on Feb. 16, 2018, the same day Buffett's first-ever musical debuts on Broadway. The CD and digital release of the album will come via Buffett's Mailboat Records and will be recorded later in November in Chicago, featuring such Buffett classics as "Come Monday," "Volcano" and "Cheeseburger in Paradise." "Escape to Margaritaville" will play Chicago's Oriental Theater from Nov. 9 - Dec. 2 before arriving at Broadway's Marquis Theatre; previews begin Feb. 16, 2018 and the show officially opens Mar. 15. Meanwhile, Buried Treasure: Vol. 1, a special collection of Buffett songs recorded in 1969 in Mobile and Nashville and discovered hidden in a recording studio closet, will be released on Nov. 17. - Billboard, 11/9/17...... In related news, the live theater division of Universal Pictures announced on Nov. 8 that the Bee Gees will be getting their own stage musical. Universal president Jimmy Horowitz says he's reached an agreement with surviving Bee Gee Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb's widow Yvonne Gibb and the estate of Robin Gibb to develop a stage musical based on the life story of the legendary trio. Barry Gibb will serve as an executive producer on the project, which will feature the group's iconic music. "This is a wonderful opportunity for our family," said Barry Gibb in a statement. "I'm personally very excited to be a part of the creative process along with Yvonne and Dwina. It's another adventure for us and a chance to throw the spotlight on all my brothers and finally the real story of us will be told. It's an honor to be working alongside the people I most respect. I can't wait to get started!" - Billboard, 11/8/17...... Legendary 1960s British pop singer Petula Clark has announced her first U.S. tour in five decades behind her new album Living for Today, which hits stores on Nov. 10. The 84-year-old Clark -- best known for her 1964 hit "Downtown" and for starring turns on stage in Sunset Boulevard and Blood Brothers -- recorded the album mostly in London, and along with original songs includes choice covers of Steve Winwood's "While You See A Chance," Peggy Lee's "Fever" and the Beatles' "Blackbird." An original song called "The Rainbow" reunites Clark with her "Downtown" collaborator Tony Hatch for their first teaming in decades. Clark, who now resides in Geneva, kicks off her U.S. tour on Nov. 12 in Modesto, CA, with dates booked through Dec. 26 at B.B. King's in New York City. - Billboard, 11/9/17...... Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley says she intends to file a lawsuit against her former financial managers, claiming they squandered more than $100 million over a 10 year period. Presley claims her financial guru Barry Spiegel sold 85% of her interest in Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE) and then gave the money to Robert F.X. Sillerman as a way of ingratiating himself with the famous investor. Presley also charges that Spiegel spent $9 million of her money without her knowledge to buy an English estate and couldn't make the balloon payment on the property, and stopped paying her taxes in 2012 which left her with a tax bill of $7 million. Siegel counters that Lisa Marie overspent herself into destitution, and as early as 2003 as $20 million in debt and he was the one who righted the ship. Siegel says he tried hard to get her to stop her excessive spending over the next 10 years but it fell on deaf ears. - TMZ.com, 11/9/17...... In an interview with the UK paper The Sun,Mick Jagger revealed that the Rolling Stones will be "getting plans into place" for some huge shows in the UK in 2018. "We were disappointed not to perform in the UK on our recent jaunt and we're looking forward to getting plans in place to do so next year," Jagger said. This summer the Stones said they were forced to pass on UK shows in 2017 "due to lack of available venues because of sporting fixtures." The news comes after reports emerged that band would be headlining a "multi-day extravaganza" at Knebworth in the summer of 2018. - New Musical Express, 11/8/17...... In what has become a sort of annual tradition, a new private detective has alleged that Patrick McDermott, the ex-boyfriend of Olivia Newton-John, faked his death in 2005 and is now living in Mexico. The detective, Charlie Parker, told New Idea magazine that a photo discovered "last month on a noticeboard at [a] run-down El Palmar del Camaron beach campsite" shows a man who is almost certainly McDermott. Parker says the man in the photograph and McDermott are a "90% match." In an interview with the Australian version of 60 Minutes in 2016, Newton-John said she has no idea what happened to McDermott, and that it's just one of those things you have to "accept and let go...I live on." - Jezebel.com, 11/7/17...... The CBS television network has annouinced that will air a Grammys Greatest Stories: A 60th Anniversary Special on Nov. 24 that will feature rare archival footage, exclusive interviews and special appearances by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and U2. The special will also take viewers behind the scenes of "Music's Biggest Night," revealing secrets about the remarkable performances and unique Grammy moments only seen on the the Grammy Awards. CBS has also announced a 50th anniversary Carol Burnett special for Dec. 3 that celebrates Burnett's classic award-winning comedy series The Carol Burnett Show. In the special, filmed on the show's original soundstage (Stage 33 at CBS Television City in Los Angeles), Burnett reminisces about her favorite sketches, Q&As with the studio audience, guest stars, her memorable wardrobe and bloopers, as well as the tremendous effect the show continues to have on television today. Guest stars include original cast members Vicki Lawrence and Lyle Waggoner, costume designer Bob Mackie, and comedians and friends including Jim Carrey, Stephen Colbert, Bernadette Peters, Jay Leno and Martin Short...... Pentti "Whitey" Glan, a session drummer who played on Alice Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare and Lou Reed's Rock 'n' Roll Animal, has died of lung cancer at age 71. Glan was once of member of the band Bush, which opened for Steppenwolf and Three Dog Night in the early '70s. ne of Bush's songs, "I Can Hear You Calling," which Glan co-wrote, was the b-side to Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World." Steppenwolf frontman John Kay then used his talents on a pair of solo albums, 1972's Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes and 1973's My Sportin' Life. Glan also played the drummer in The Rose, the 1979 Bette Midler movie that was loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin. - 11/8/17...... Actor John Hillerman, best known for his portrayal of Tom Selleck fastidious estate caretaker Jonathan Quayle Higgins III on Magnum, P.I., died on Nov. 9 at his home in Houston, Tex., of as yet undisclosed causes. He was 84. Mr. Hillerman received four Emmy nominations in consecutive years for portraying Higgins and won in 1987. He also played the Hardin twins in the 1973 film Paper Moon, one a moonshiner ripped off by Ryan O'Neal, the other a sheriff's policeman who chases him into St. Louis and has him beaten up. Other bigscreen appearances include What's Up, Doc?, The History of the World, Part 1, and Blazing Saddles. Mr. Hillerman retired from acting in 1999, after a career spanning more than 70 film and TV roles (and dozens more on the stage). His final role was in A Very Brady Sequel, in 1996. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/9/17.

Friday, November 3, 2017

Sterling Venue Ventures has announced an opening celebration of their brand-new venue, The Canyon in Santa Clarita, Cal., featuring acclaimed singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones, on Nov. 11. Other artists scheduled to perform at The Canyon in the weeks ahead include Gin Blossoms (11/17), Petula Clark (11/18), Timothy B. Schmidt of the Eagles (11/26), the Queen tribute band Queen Nation (11/24), Tower of Power (12/15), and Todd Rundgren (12/27). More info can be found on their official website. - Miles High Productions, 11/6/17...... A new Eric Clapton documentary titled Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars will premiere in limited release in theaters across the US on Nov. 24, before premiering on the Showtime channel on Feb. 10, 2018. Directed by Lili Fini Zanuck, the rock doc is described as an "unflinching and deeply personal journey into the life of the legendary musician" that covers the breadth of the legendary musician's career, including his tenures in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos. It also features archival materials like classic performance clips, on- and offstage footage, iconic photos, concert posters, handwritten letters, drawings and personal diary entries, as well as extensive interviews with Clapton himself and his family, friends, musical collaborators, contemporaries and heroes, including late music icons B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison. Life in 12 Bars, which has been submitted for Oscar consideration, is produced by Abramorama, which has previously released music-driven films about the Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Clive Davis and Sean Combs. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/3/17...... A breach of contract lawsuit was filed against Universal Music Group/Vivendi on Nov. 6 in Los Angeles by Overrated Productions, which alleges that UMG has been "willfully underpaying" royalties on Player's 1977 No. hit "Baby Come Back." Overrated Productions, which earlier in 2017 acquired the rights to the work from producer Dennis Lambert and his Haven Records, also claims UMG has been concealing the underpayment by providing statements that were "intentionally confusing at best and misleading at worst." Overrated Productions says the song is still actively licensed, and has recently appeared in everthing from The Simpsons to Toyota commercials. The complaint claims the rights and accounting for the master recordings were transferred to a European entity to artificially lower royalty payments by skimming 25 percent off the top for an "intra-company payment." Therefore, Overrated argues, UMG has failed to pay the correct amounts for synchronization licenses, record sales, digital downloads, ringtones, streaming and other licenses of the masters. UMG has not yet commented on the lawsuit. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/6/17...... Ozzy Osbourne announced on Nov. 5 that he'll be hitting the road one last time in 2018 for a farewell solo tour that, this time, he swears will be his last although it is slated to last well into the year 2020. "This will be my final world tour, but I can't say I won't do some shows here and there," the Black Sabbath frontman said in a statement. "But after 2,500 shows don't expect the 68 year-old heavy metal icon to do something quite this big ever again. Osbourne will be backed up by his longtime collaborators Zakk Wylde (guitar), Blasko (bass), Tommy Clufetos (drums) and Adam Wakeman (keyboards). - Billboard, 11/6/17...... A diverse collection of musicians including Patti Smith, Joan Baez, Michael Stipe, Cat Power and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers participated in a climate change awareness benefit at Carnegie Hall on Nov. 5, 2017 in New York City. Co-organized by Jesse Paris Smith, the daughter of Patti Smith, the "NYC Pathway to Paris Concert" also featured impassioned speakers who urged audience members to write to legislators to demand they divest from fossil fuels, and rallied the crowd behind the "1000 Cities" campaign, which seeks to have the world's cities go beyond even what the Paris climate agreement sought and pledge to use 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. - Billboard, 11/6/17...... In related news, Paul McCartney slammed US Pres. Donald Trump in an interview with the BBC on Nov. 5 for the president's decision earlier this year to pull out of the Paris climate agreement to cut global emissions. "It's not the total solution, but it's part of the solution," the former Beatle said. "A lot of people have been saying this for a long time but there's resistance. Particularly when you've got someone like Trump who says that it (climate change) is just a hoax. A lot of people like myself think that's just madness so it's maybe a good time now to try and focus people's attention and say 'look, forget about him we can do something'," he added. Macca is promoting a new short film called One Day a Week which encourages people to go just one day a week without eating animal products to help the environment. Sir Paul has also revealed he's written a new song about Pres. Trump which will be featured on his next album, which is due before the end of 2017. - New Musical Express, 11/6/17...... In other Beatles-related news, British artist Chris Barker has once again re-imagined the Fab Four's iconic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band LP cover to update the musicians, actors and other celebrities who have passed away in 2017. Barker's 2017 Sgt. Pepper's montage, which can be viewed at pic.twitter.com/piWGmUiZwk, features the likes of Tom Petty, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Mary Tyler Moore, Robert Guillaume, Bill Paxton, Sam Shepard, Al Jarreau, Don Rickles, Martin Landau, Charlie Murphy, Jerry Lewis, Hugh Hefner, Harry Dean Stanton, Adam West, John Hurt and Roger Moore, among others. In 2016, Barker's Sgt. Pepper's re-imagining honored deceased celebrities including David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Alan Rickman, Glenn Frey, Sir George Martin and Gene Wilder, among many others, and it received millions of retweets and much online and printed attention. Barker says he isn't sure if the re-imagining of the Sgt. Pepper's cover will be an annual event, but "if we don't get a hold on climate change, hate crime, gun violence and world leaders threatening nuclear annihilation during their morning bowel movement, then we might not have too many more years, so it's down to all of us really." - Billboard, 11/7/17...... Elton John will be honored at Harvard University on Nov. 11 for his philanthropic efforts to fight HIV and AIDS. John, 70, will be awarded the Harvard Foundation's Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award in a ceremony. Elton, who runs his own AIDS foundation, said in a statement that the award was "both gratifying and tremendously humbling." "I will continue to sustain and grow the progress we've made to eradicate stigma and end the spread of HIV/AIDS, once and for all," he added. Previous winners of the award include former South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu. - AP, 11/6/17...... A recently unearthed interview from 2014 reveals that Bob Dylan once teamed up with Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm writer/director Larry Charles to pitch a slapstick comedy show to cable TV's HBO during the 1990s. Although HBO approved the project, Dylan lost interest in it before it could ever emerge, however Larry Charles went on to rework the idea into the 2003 big screen drama Masked and Anonymous, which starred Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Jessica Lange and Bob Dylan himself. - New Musical Express, 11/6/17...... Kenny Rogers, who has announced he's heading into retirement after a six-decade-long music career, was honored with a Legacy Award at the SESAC Nashville Music Awards on Nov. 5 in Nashville, Tenn. After several artists including Kim Carnes reprised some of Rogers' most familiar material, including "Lady," "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" and "The Gambler," Rogers accepted the award and thanked the writers for allowing him to be the vessel for their songs. Rogers, whose career included a stop in jazz before doing folk music with the New Christy Minstrels and dabbing in psychedelia with the First Edition, said that "genre is a not a word I understand," which elicited cheers. - Billboard, 11/6/17...... Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen has announced he'll make a special Veteran's Day appearance at the Wentworth Gallery in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 11 to launch his "Rock Allen: Drums For Peace" art tour to benefit military veterans. Allen, who lost his left arm in a New Year's Eve 1984 car crash, says he feels a special connection to those returning from duty with debilitating injuries, and he and his wife Lauren Monroe have established their own charity, the Raven Drum Foundation, to provide assistance to the troops. Allen's artwork is a mixed media collection that includes his paintings on drum heads, toy buses, clothing and other objects. Allen also has exhibitions booked for New York and Washington, D.C. for 2018, with more to be scheduled to coincide with Def Leppard performances. The group, meanwhile, is "in recovery mode" after touring to celebrate the Hysteria album's 30th anniversary this year. - Billboard, 11/6/17...... Australian rock musician/songwriter/producer George Young, a former member of the Aussie '60s band The Easybeats who co-wrote The Easybeats' classic hit "Friday on My Mind," died on Oct. 22. He was 70. Young also co-produced records by the likes of AC/DC, John Paul Young, The Angels and Rose Tattoo, and is the older brother of AC/DC members Angus and Malcolm Young. After touring with bands like the Rolling Stones in the late '60s, the Easybeats broke up. George Young then formed Albert Productions in Sydney with Ted Albert, which became an indie powerhouse. In 1988 he was inducted, along with Easybeats guitarist Harry Vanda, into the inaugural class of the ARIA Hall of Fame, and again as a member of the Easybeats in 2005. "Without George Young, AC/DC would not exist," the band said in a statement. "He was a pioneer who, with close friends Harry Vanda and Ted Albert, created a new sound for the Australian music industry." Easybeats frontman Stevie Wright died in 2015 at the age of 68. - 10/24/17...... Singer Robert Knight, best known for first charting the country-soul song "Everlasting Love" in 1967, died on Nov. 5 following a short, undisclosed illness. He was 72. Knight began his career in 1959, when he formed a vocal group with some high school pals known as The Paramounts. He joined a second group during his college years, The Fairlanes, landing a solo deal with songwriters/producers Buzz Cason and Fred Foster's label Rising Sons Music. It was Cason, along with songwriter partner Mac Gayden, who wrote "Everlasting Love," the Motown-style track with its uplifting chorus that would make Knight a star when it was released in 1967, crossing from the R&B charts to the pop listing and peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although he charted such lesser hits as "Blessed are the Lonely" and "Isn't it Lonely Together" afterward, he moved away from music later in life to focus on a job at Vanderbilt University in Nashville as a lab technician, chemistry teacher and member of the grounds crew. "Everlasting Love," meanwhile, proved to have everlasting popularity, having been by everyone from U2 to Gloria Estefan. Between its various versions, the song has become a Hot 100 top 40 hit in each of the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s. - Billboard, 11/6/17.

In a new interview with the UK paper The Guardian,Robert Plant has revealed he can no longer listen to some tracks by his iconic former band Led Zeppelin. "Songs like [Led Zeppelin I's] 'Babe I'm Going To Leave You'... "I find my vocals on there horrific now. I really should have shut the f--k up!," said Plant, who is still known to perform selections from Led Zep's extensive back catalogue during his solo shows. Plant, who recently released his latest solo album Carry Fire, said told another UK paper in October that he wouldn't consider being part of a Led Zep reunion, saying "I've got to keep moving." Plant also about his 1975 automobile accident which left him confined to a wheelchair for several months, including into the recording of 1976's Presence LP. "The whole of that album, Presence, is absolutely racked with pain. Plus, the fraternity of the band at the time was stretched to breaking point," he said. - New Musical Express, 11/2/17...... Neil Young has announced he'll release The Visitor, his follow-up to 2016's Earth, on Dec. 1 via Reprise Records. The Visitor wil be Young's first album with his backing band Promise of the Real and will feature Willie Nelson's son Lukas Nelson, who has previously fronted the Promise of the Real. On Nov. 3, Young shared The Visitor's first single, "Already Great." Meanwhile, on Nov. 2 Young announced he'll be auctioning off a large portion of his possessions that he's come to accumulate over the years, including his "personal collection of model trains, classic cars, guitars, recording gear, clothing, memorabilia, and more." "Collecting all of these items have been my great joy," Young said in a statement. "They have provided a source of inspiration, fun and creativity throughout my life. Now it is time to share them with others in the world whom I hope will enjoy and love them as much as I have," he added. Young, a longtime model train enthusiast, is credited with inventing the CAB-1, the first truly user-friendly remote control in the toy train industry, and backed the creation of the Trainmaster Command Control, which allows owners to run multiple trains at once. All of the items will be visible for public viewing at Julien's Auctions Gallery in Los Angeles from Dec. 4-9, with the auction taking place both at the gallery and online on the 9th. Fans can register online to participate in the auction. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Bridge School in California. - Stereogum.com/Billboard, 11/3/17...... A new song by Bruce Springsteen called "Freedom Credence" is featured in the new Miles Teller-starring movie Thank You For Your Service. Over a spare beat, Springsteen sings, "Some say is freedom is free/ But I tend to disagree/ I say freedom is won/ With the blood of someone's son." Thank You For Your Service tells the story of returning Iraq War veterans dealing with PTSD. - Stereogum.com, 10/31/17...... Michael Jackson has once again topped the Forbes top-earning dead celebrities list for the fifth year in a row. Jackson, who died eight years ago, earned an estimated $75 million in 2016 from earnings boosted by a new greatest hits album, a Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil show and a stake in the EMI music publishing catalog. Two other '70s artists also made the top five, Elvis Presley in fourth place with $35 million and Bob Marley in fifth place with $23 million. In other Jackson-related news, Michael's son Prince Michael Jackson was hospitalized on Nov. 2 after being involved in a motorcycle accident. Prince Michael is Jackson's oldest son, and details of the crash weren't known other than that the 20-year-old was taken to an emergency room at a nearby Los Angeles hospital. He was released from the hospital shortly after he arrived with no major injuries sustained, and apparently made it to his class at Loyola Marymount University on time, posting "Well shit..." via Instagram during his ride in the ambulance. - AP/Billboard, 11/2/17...... On Nov. 2 the Beatles announced plans to release a limited-edition box set of their Christmas holiday messages, originally given only to fan club members on flexi-discs from 1963 to 1969, on Dec. 15. The set will include seven 7-inch colored vinyl singles, one for each of the legendary band's seven Christmas messages during the time they were a unit. The Christmas records have never been given general release as a set before, though one was made available as part of The Beatles Rock Band video game. The seven holiday messages were originally titled "The Beatles Christmas Record" (1963), "Another Beatles Christmas Record" (1964), "The Beatles Third Christmas Record" (1965), "Pantomime -- Everywhere It's Christmas" (1966), "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" (1967), "The Beatles Sixth Christmas Record" (1968) (which includes a guest appearance by Tiny Tim singing the Beatles song "Nowhere Man"), and "The Beatles Seventh Christmas Record" (1969). Each single will include a sleeve with the original artwork from the fan club discs, and the box will also have an added 16-page booklet with recording notes and reproductions of the fan club newsletters that was sent to fans with the original discs. Also on Dec. 15, the Beatles will continue their celebration of the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band with three more releases -- a high-res audio version (90kHZ/24 bit) of the deluxe edition of the album from earlier in the year, along with two vinyl discs. The hi-res tracks package will feature the 2017 stereo mix as produced by Giles Martin, plus 18 added tracks with complete alternate takes, an instrumental mix of "Penny Lane" and two alternate takes of "Strawberry Fields Forever." The two vinyl versions will feature a 180-gram black vinyl album and a limited vinyl picture disc. Meanwhile, the 2016 Ron Howard-directed Beatles film Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years will premiere Nov. 25 on PBS. - Billboard, 11/2/17...... In other Beatles news, what is being touted as "the world's rarest Beatles album" is expected to go under the hammer later in November. The album, which is expected to fetch over $200,000, is an early edition of the quartet's 1966 Yesterday and Today album once owned by John Lennon and sporting hand-drawn sketches by him, and features an infamous photo of the Fab Four dressed as butchers. It remains one of the only copies in existence after executives at Capitol Records ordered the destruction of albums featuring the contentious photograph. Lennon's personal copy was among the rare survivors, and he gave it to Beatles collector Dave Morrell in 1972 in return for memorabilia and bootleg material. The LP also has a message from Lennon to Morrell: "To Dave, from John Lennon," alongside a date of December 7 1971. "This piece is rare because one it's the butcher cover that was withdrawn and never sold on the market after the second day," says Gary Shrum of Heritage Auctions. "It's John Lennon's personal copy, it's a prototype that had a blank back, which John did artwork on the back of. Plus it's a stereo copy which was the rarest of the butcher covers, because only a few stereo copies got out when they were for sale," he added. - New Musical Express, 10/31/17...... In related news, a letter written by John Lennon's murderer, Mark Chapman, was recently sold through Serial Killers Ink, a website which specializes in selling the items of infamous criminals. The letter, written by Chapman to a pen pal only identified as "Michael," reveals that Champan believes he has been forgiven by Jesus for his actions. "Jesus is everything," he wrote. "I have found this through the many long years here at Attica [the New York state jail where he was imprisoned until 2012]. He chose to die so that our sins -- even mine -- could be forgiven. Twelve years ago I shot and killed the rock superstar John Lennon, formerly of The Beatles. Let me say here that it was a horrible occurrence, I have never forgotten it." The letter was sold to a private buyer for £265. - NME, 11/1/17...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Paul McCartney and his daughters Mary and Stella McCartney are continuing their "Meat Free Monday" campaign with the launch of a new short film titled One Day a Week to encourage people to go just one day a week without eating animal products. The film is being released ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in the second week of November and focuses on animal agriculture as an under-covered aspect of climate change. The foundation of Meat Free Monday is to "raise awareness and inspire people to make a change in their diets from an early achievable starting point." "There's a simple but significant way to help protect the planet and all its inhabitants," McCartney says in the film. "And it starts with just one day a week. One day without eating animal products can have a huge impact in helping maintain that delicate balance that sustains us all." One Day a Week is narrated by McCartney and features his own music -- tracks from his 1997 orchestral album Standing Stone and an unreleased song called "Botswana." - Billboard, 11/2/17...... Trouble No More, a new Bob Dylan concert documentary that explores the rock icon's conversion to Christianity that was marked by his starkly confessional 1979 album Slow Train Coming, premiered at theaters in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago and San Francisco on on Nov. 2. The following day, Columbia/Legacy released the film as part of the Trouble No More - The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981 deluxe box set, the latest installment in Dylan's ongoing Bootleg Series. The film highlights Dylan's brief, polarizing "gospel period," during which he released three studio albums: 1979's Slow Train Coming, 1980's Saved and 1981's Shot of Love in which the rock bard eschewed his earlier, secular material on the accompanying tour and often broke into fiery, apocalyptic sermons onstage. In other Dylan news, the singer's acceptance speech for winning the Nobel Prize in Literature has been released in a print version. Simon & Shuster published a 23-page "book" of Dylan's humorous and insightful diatribe on Oct. 31. The book is also available in a limited collector's edition: 100 "individually signed and numbered hardcover copies" are available for $2,500 each. A more affordable version of the printed lecture, in which the singer riffs on such topics as Melville, All Quiet on the Western Front, Odysseus, and Leadbelly, is being sold for $16.99. - Billboard/Spin.com, 11/1/17...... New Orleans paid tribute to their favorite son Fats Domino on the evening of Nov. 1 with a second line procession to honor the late "Blueberry Hill" singer who passed away on Oct. 24 at 89. The raucous march of thousands was packed with horn players, families, tambourines, colorful parasols, Mardi Gras Indians and some special guests, with police reporting as many as 10,000 attendees. Among the attendees was Domino's grandson, Chevis Domino, as well as fellow New Orleans musical icons Dr. John and Trombone Shorty, who gathered with some of Domino's family on the porch of the singer's former home on Caffin Ave. in the Lower Ninth Ward. Domino's family has not yet announced official funeral arrangements, but released a statement from daughter Adonica Domino following the procession thanking fans for "all the beautiful words, tributes and celebrations honoring our father." - Billboard, 11/2/17...... In an interview with Livewire.com, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi says that his cancer will "probably" come back. Iommi, who was first diagnosed with lymphoma in early 2012 but announced that it was in remission in Aug. 2016, says it was always hard for him to travel after his diagnosis. I love playing on the road, I love being in the band, I love playing to the fans, but it's just the other side. You can only do what you can do and your physical side takes over and you get tired. And after doing so many shows, I really did get tired." "To me, it's never gonna go away; it's always gonna be there," he continued about his cancer diagnosis. "According to my oncologist, the professor, he said it's probably gonna come back. So it's hard to sort of go, 'Oh, well, that's brilliant then.' But I do live [day] by day now, and just every day is a winner, really. And we'll see. I hope it doesn't come back, but you never know." - New Musical Express, 11/1/17...... Three half siblings of Prince, Sharon, Norrine and John R. Nelson, filed a motion on Oct. 28 to remove Comerica Bank & Trust as executor of Prince's estate. The Nelsons are upset that Comerica recently removed the contents of Prince's vault, including master tapes of unreleased music, from his Paisley Park studio complex in Minnesota and shipped the materials to California. The three heirs contend that Comerica did not ask their permission. Comerica has said the company discussed the move with the heirs. - AP, 10/31/17...... The UK paper The Sun is reporting that Mick Jagger, 74, has recently spent several nights in Paris with his 22-year-old girlfriend, Noor Alfallah, when the Rolling Stones played Paris in October. Jagger and Alfallah reportedly first hooked up at a private flat in the suburbs on a Sunday in early October, then the next day a chauffeur drove her back to her hotel. They repeated the routine on Tuesday and Wednesday. The US-born socialite and film producer watched the Stones perform at the city's U Arena the next night and they enjoyed three more dates in late October. A source said: "Mick still has his legendary charm but even the band were surprised someone as young and beautiful as Noor came to Paris to see him. They are both single and seemed to have a lot of fun together, so everyone just let them get on with it. Mick is showing absolutely no sign of slowing down. He certainly had a smile on his face and famous twinkle in his eye." - TheSun.com, 10/29/17...... Steely Dan played their first UK show since the death of founder member Walter Becker on Oct. 29 at The O2 in London as part of Bluesfest. Becker's musical partner Donald Fagen paid tribute to him during the gig, commenting: "We're a little different than we were a few a months ago but I gotta live with that." Fagen and his 12 piece band played a groove-ridden set that drew upon the band's classic albums from the 1970s, including "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," "Bodhisattva," "My Old School" and "Peg" as well as "Hey Nineteen" and "Babylon Sisters" from 1980's Gaucho. Backing vocals came from the three "Danettes." Opening for Steely Dan were the Doobie Brothers. - NME, 10/30/17...... Keith Wilder, a vocalist with the '70s disco era group Heatwave, has died at 67. Wilder's late brother, Johnny Wilder, formed the band in 1975. Heatwave is best known for their hit singles "Boogie Nights" (1976) and "Always and Forever" and "The Groove Line" (1977).